Frame construction



Jan. 3, 1956 M. N. ANDERSON FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 19, 1953 United States Patent 2,729,316 FRAME CONSTRUCTION Marshall N. Anderson,

Sellstrom Manufacturing tion of Illinois Grayslake, Ill., assignor to Co., Chicago, 11]., a corpora- This invention relates to a frame construction and more particularly to a means for resiliently holding a removable panel in a relatively fixed position within a frame member.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a frame construction having a minimum number of separate parts which may be readily assembled or disassembled with respect to one another.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a frame construction which is simple in design, effective in operation, and inexpensive to produce.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention a frame construction is provided comprising a frame member having an aperture of predetermined shape formed therein and having a portion of the aperture-defining edge of said frame member in the form of a ledge. Removably mounted within said frame member and in registration with the aperture formed therein is a panel of substantially the same shape as said aperture and which is adapted to rest against said ledge. Detachably mounted on said frame member is a bowed skeletal element of substantially the same shape as said panel and having portions thereof yieldably engaging said panel and urging the latter against the frame member ledge.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be made to the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a back elevational view of the frame construction;

Fig. 2 is a top shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. i;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and I Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the panel-holding element, alone.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, a frame construction is shown which, in this instance, is adapted to be mounted on the protective mask of a welders helmet, not shown. The frame construction 10 comprises a frame member 11 formed of a durable stilf material, such as plastic. The frame member 11 has an aperture 12 formed therein of a predetermined shape and size, which, in this instance, is shown to be rectangular, however, it is not limited to this particular shape. Portions 13 of the aperture-forming edge of the frame member 11, which, in this instance, are one pair of opposing sides, are in the form of ledges; the function of which will be described more fully hereinafter. The frame member 11 is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 14 which extends about the entire outside periphery of the frame member. The flange 14, as seen in Fig. 2, is bowed so as to conform to the contour of the protective mask of the welders helmet against which it engages when mounted thereon. The mask is provided with an opening to receive the portion 11a of the frame member disposed forward of the flange 14. A second plan view of the frame construction of substantially the same shape as flange 14 is used in conjunction with frame member 11, when mounting the latter in place on the mask, to elfect sandwiching of the mask therebetween. Formed in flange 14 and disposed on opposite sides of aperture 12 are a pair of embossments 15 each of which is provided with a countersunk opening 16 which is adapted to receive fastening screws or bolts, not shown; the latter being used for securing the frame member 11 to the protective mask of the welders helmet.

Positioned within the frame construction 10 and in registration with the aperture 12 thereof is a panel 17, which is substantially the same shape as the aperture 12 and has the narrow ends thereof adapted to rest against the ledge portions 13 of the frame member, as seen more clearly in Fig. 3. The panel 17 may be of a transparent or translucent material depending upon the type of device the frame construction is mounted on.

The panel 17 is held in place against the ledge portions 13 by a resilient holding element 18, see Fig. 5, formed of wirelike material and which is shaped to delineate an area of substantially the same shape as panel 17, namely a rectangle. The longer sides 19 of the element 18, in this instance, are substantially parallel and are bowed a slight amount in the same direction. Substantially centrally positioned on each of the longer sides 19 is an outwardly extending nub 20 which is adapted to engage the frame member 11 and hold the element 18 in place. The frame member 11 is provided with'a pair of lugpieces 22 disposed behind flange 14 and on opposite sides of aperture 12, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Each lug piece 22 is provided with an opening or socket 21 in which one of the nubs 20 of element 18 is adapted to seat. As noted in Fig. 3, the openings 21 are spaced behind the panel 17 a predetermined amount so that when the element 18 is mounted within the frame, the narrow sides 23 of the element will yieldably contact the narrow marginal edge portions of the panel and cause the element 18 to be flexed toward an unbowed position, as seen in Fig. 3. Thus the element 18 urges the panel against the ledge portions 13. The element 18 is readily positioned within the frame member 11 by inserting one of the nubs 20 within one of the openings 21 and then flexing the long side 19 of the element toward the other side 19 until the other nub 20 slips under the adjacent lug piece and snaps into engagement with the other opening 21.

While the frame construction, in this instance, is shown adapted for use primarily in conjunction with a welders helmet, it is to be understood, of course, that the shape of the frame member 11 and the aperture 12 formed therein may be varied in accordance with the type of device on which it is mounted.

Thus it will be seen that a frame construction has been provided which is simple, yet durable, in construction, is easily assembled or disassembled, and provides an ef fective means for holding the removable panel in relatively fixed position with respect to the frame member.

While a particular embodiment of this invention is shown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a frame member having an aperture formed therein and a ledge portion formed in circumjacent relation with respect to said aperture, said frame member being provided with a pair of sockets spaced from a plane formed by said ledge and on opposite sides of said aperture, a panel of substantially the same configuration as said aperture removframe, not shown,

.1 ably mounted on said frame member intermediate said ledge and a pair of sockets, said panel being in registration with said aperture and having the marginal edge portion on one surface of said panel resting against said ledge, and a skeletal nonplanar resilient element of substantially the same configuration as said panel being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed outwardly extending protuberances releasably seated within said .pair of sockets, said element, when the protuberances thereof are seated within said sockets, being flexed toward a planar position and segments of said element resiliently contact the opposite surface of the marginal portion of said panel and urge said panel into positive abutting engagement with said ledge.

2. An element for use in resiliently urging the marginal portion of a panel against aledge formed in a frame member and delimiting an aperture provided in the latter, said element comprising a resilient wirelike nonplanar body delimiting an aperture of substantially the same configuration as the aperture formed in such a frame memher, said body being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed outwardly extending protuberances releasably atfixable to the frame member, said body, when in atfixed relation with the frame member, being flexed toward a planar position and portions of said body disposed on opposite sides of a line connecting said protuberances resiliently contacting the marginal portion of the panel and maintaining the frame member and panel in assembled relation.

3. An element for use in resiliently urging the marginal portion of a panel against a ledge formed in a frame member and delimiting an aperture provided in the latter, said element comprising a resilient wirelike body bowed in one direction and delimiting an aperture of substantially the same configuration as the aperture formed in such a frame member, and a pair of oppositely disposed outwardly projecting protuberances positioned substantially centrally on the bowed side portions of said body, said protuberances being releasably affixable to the frame member, said body, when in aflixed relation with the frame member, being flexed toward an unbowed position and portions of said body spaced from said protuberances resiliently contacting the marginal portions of the panel and maintaining the frame member and panel in assembled relation.

4. A device of the class described comprising a frame member having an aperture formed therein and a ledge portion formed in circumjacent relation with respect to said aperture, said frame member being provided with a pair of open end sockets disposed on opposite sides of said aperture and spaced from a plane formed by said ledge, the open ends of said sockets being opposite one another, a panel of substantially the same configuration as said aperture removably mounted on said frame member intermediate said ledge and pair of sockets, said panel being in registration with said aperture and having the marginal edge portion on one surface of said panel resting against said ledge, and a resilient skeletal element removably mounted on said frame member for resiliently urging said panel into abutting engagement with said ledge and retain said frame member and panel in assembled relation; said element including a wirelike concavo-convex body delimiting an aperture of substantially the same configuration as said frame member aperture and having the concave side of said body adjacent said panel, and a pair of outwardly projecting oppositely disposed protuberances provided on the portions of said body spaced the greatest distance from said panel, said protuberances being removably seated in said frame member sockets, said body being flexed toward a planar position, when said protuberances are seated in said sockets, and having portions of said body yieldably contacting the opposite surface of said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,206,013 Hermani July 2, 1940 2,260,849 Bowers Oct. 28, 1941 2,524,140 Retz Oct. 3, 1950 2,631,285 Maillart Mar. 17, 1953 

